This much we know: the UK is a world leader in design education and British design talent can be found across the globe in companies such as Apple, Virgin Atlantic, Lego, Hallmark and hundreds more.

According to a report from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in 2007/2008, approximately 60,000 students in higher education are undertaking some form of design studies and in the same year Creative & Cultural Skills estimated that about 200,000 were employed in design and creative positions. The creative industries are second only to the financial sector.

New design talent has been pouring out of art and design schools for many years. Every year, New Designers showcases around 3,500 art and design graduates from some 200 courses across the UK and has been doing so for the past 27 years. Those graduates are what allow exhibitions like ours to thrive as businesses, curators, media and a creatively-minded public seeks to discover and snap up the talent before the masses get hold of it.

With their innovative ideas and fresh ways of thinking these designers will be the future influencers in fashion, visual arts, furniture design, brand marketing and communication – but what do they have to offer, and what do they need from us in return?

What do new designers offer culture and business?

Many organisations recognise that design gives them a competitive edge. Creative thinking and well designed products and services help to differentiate and become part of a brand's DNA. Throughout arts and business, it is creative minds that provide inspiration and a different way of seeing and tackling day to day challenges.

An art and design graduate, unencumbered by 'jobsworth' attitudes and keen to make an impression, can make an inspiring addition to any organisation. In addition to the creative aspect of their degree course, they have the ability to challenge conventional thinking – they approach problems with freedom of thought.

Design graduates are also used to, and enjoy, collaborative teamwork. Working on design briefs at college, they have gleaned business and management skills without even realising they are gaining these competences – and with youth on their side they bring an insight into what a new generation is expecting commercially.

What support do they need to fulfil their potential?

Employers need to show design graduates how commercial organisations work in the real world, without crushing their flair and creativity.

Gaining work experience is invaluable and a more flexible way to learn on the job. Having a company's name on your CV can really improve employment prospects – you don't have to say you were an intern, it's the experience a future employer is looking at. There's too much bad press about unpaid internships at the moment because in reality both parties benefit, but employers shouldn't be exploitative.

There is a longstanding debate as to whether business skills should be part of a degree course, but I believe that you can gain your commercial skills after college and university. There are numerous websites and organisations that want to help start-ups and give business advice.

The time you spend doing your degree should be about unbound creativity. It's a rare company that will give a newly qualified designer the chance to experiment without boundaries or constraints. But new entrants do need to take responsibility and learn to be businesslike.

Most students joining the design industry get a real shock when they realise how hard people work in the commercial world. I don't know any slackers in this industry. Creative people enjoy what they do, they are passionate about the results and are often rewarded by tangible, visible success – but they work damn hard to get it.

Do designers have to be entrepreneurs too?

Some design disciplines lend themselves to entrepreneurial activity, such as industrial design and engineering, jewellery and fashion accessories. The former is often about intelligent problem-solving and innovation to improve existing products – the latter can be more about flair and an understanding of consumer psyche both with the determination to bring new products to market.

Not everyone can be a Dyson or a Paul Smith. It's tough to go it alone and set up in business by yourself. Design companies succeed when they have a combination of creative and commercial minds, each respecting and understanding the value of the other's skill set.

Of course, the dream ticket is a person with both elements. But I often hear creative people who have grown their businesses, bemoaning the fact that all they seem to do these days is manage people and don't do as much designing as they would like.

This is the case for most successful businesses irrespective of their field, but creative people often struggle with the commercial aspects of their businesses. Bringing in complementary skills can only be a benefit.

In recession, companies need to differentiate themselves to keep abreast of the competition. Design – collaborative, communicative and in everything we touch – is often the saviour in this challenge.

Isobel Dennis is director of the New Designers show, which runs at the Business Design Centre in London from 27-30 June and from 4-7 July – follow it on Twitter @NewDesigners